1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of storage trays and bins used to hold small articles such as jewelry, and in particular to modular wall-mounted storage trays and bins.
2. Statement of the Problem
A prior art search conducted by the inventor of the present invention disclosed a variety of storage containers, trays, and racks having various functions, as follows:
______________________________________ Inventor U.S. Pat. No. Issue Date ______________________________________ Fieldstein 1,815,651 5/11/29 Joyce 3,581,906 6/1/71 Presberg 3,895,720 7/22/75 Dean, et al. 3,905,484 9/16/75 Thompson 4,008,872 2/22/77 Hopkins, et al. 4,350,252 9/21/82 Norberg, et al. 4,476,985 10/16/84 Stenberg 4,525,882 7/2/85 Field 4,552,272 11/12/85 ______________________________________
U.S. Pat. No. 3,581,906 issued to Joyce discloses a storage bin that can be assembled with several such bins stacked on top of one another to form a vertically stacked array. A number of dividers can be inserted to define individualized compartments in each bin.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,008,872 issued to Thompson relates to a modular supporting system wherein a module 14 is selectively removable from a support 10. The details of the structure for the modular removal are shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,895,720 issued to Presberg relates to a rack for ticket sales. Presberg shows a modular unit that grows vertically as shown in FIG. 1 by elements 10a, 10b, and 10c that are engaged by tongue and groove joints. Each of the modular units has a wing member 14 for holding tickets. Hence, the user can selectively add vertical ticket holder members 14 by adding on additional members 10.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,350,252 issued to Hopkins, et al., shows a display rack which is grooved to receive additional support racks. The specific structure is most clearly shown in FIG. 3.
The remaining patents to Norberg, et al., Field, Stenberg, Fieldstein, and Dean, et al., all show various embodiments for providing dividers for a compartmentalized display system.
3. Solution to the Problem
None of the prior art references uncovered in the search set forth the use of a modular storage tray assembly having a wall-attached element and a number of modular trays suspended therefrom in series down the wall. Each adjacent pair of modular elements is fastened together by means of a pair of pins on one of the elements that seat in a corresponding pair of holes or recessed indentations in the second element.